Encoding apparatus



Jan. 4, 1966 w. P. HOEFLINGER ENCODING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNOV- 23, 1962 IN VEN TOR. Mil/4M P //0t/2/Mfi United States Patent3,227,474 ENCODING APPARATUS William P. Hoefliuger, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,assignor to The Teleregister Corporation, Stamford, Conn., a corporationof Delaware Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,459 7 Claims. (Cl. 283-7)The present invention pertains to encoding apparatus and particularly toan improved encoding apparatus employing the principles described in US.Patent No. 2,952,- 080 to Avakian et al. dated September 13, 1960.

The aforesaid patent describes both a method of and various apparatusfor encoding an intelligible display, which may be a signature, apicture or other material. Essentially, that method compriseseliminating or obscuring certain portions of the display in apredetermined manner and substituting therefor nonintelligible mattergenerally of a character like that of the display. The apparatusemployed utilizes basically a grid screen having a great number ofalternate display transmitting and nontransmitting zones, those shown inparticular in the above patent having the form of alternate transparentand opaque bands on a plate glass, photographic film or similar surface.The extent or width of the transmitting zones or bands is such that theportions of the display transmitted thereby are sufiicient by themselvesto render the display intelligible. In typical practice thenontransmitting bands are thrice the width of the transmitting bands.When the screen is placed over the display only certain portions of thelatter, therefore, are transmitted by or visible therethrough, whichportions are referred to in the patent and herein as the information orsignature bits.

An encoding dummy, fashioned in the manner described in the above patentfrom one or more sets of subject matter similar to that of the display,contains what the patent refers to as the noninformation bits, whichterm or dummy bits is also used herein, in zones or hands correspondingexactly to the nontransmitting zones or hands of the grid screen. Whenthe encoding dummy is superimposed upon an opaque white screen,described in the patent and prepared from the grid screen, and properlyaligned therewith, the resulting composite is spoken of as the masterencoder. When the latter in turn is superimposed upon the display,another composite, known as the encoded display, is thereby formed withthe dummy or noninformation bits appearing in place of thenontransmitted portions of the display. To decode the encoded display itis necessary only to align thereover a decoding screen, similar to theencoding screen and described in the patent, so that the nontransmittingzones or bands of the decoding screen correspond with and obscure thedummy bits in the encoded display, thus leaving visible onlythe'information bits and rendering the display intelligible.

The foregoing method and apparatus have found valuable commercialapplication particularly in savings banks. In the past it had been thecustom for the depositors name to appear in his passbook and when hewished to make a withdrawal he presented his passbook and a signedwithdrawal slip. The teller would then take the latter and compare itwith the depositors signature onfile in the banks records. This practicewas necessarily time consuming and it did not avoid the possibility of aforged withdrawal slip being presented to and overlooked by the teller.Using the teachings of the above patent the foregoing disadvantages andhazards have been largely removed. In savings banks employing thepatented method and apparatus the depositor writes his signature in theusual way on a signature card over which, in turn, is placed a masterencoder. The encoded display thereby 3,227,474 Patented Jan. 4, 1966formed is photographed and a print thereof is bonded to the inside ofthe back cover of the passbook, thus making the encoded signature anintegral part of the passbook itself. The encoded display in the latteris then aligned with respect to a decoding screen and two aligning holesare punched therein by apparatus known as the master reader. Each telleris provided with a teller reader incorporating a decoding screen and apair of aligning pins having the same relation to each other as thedecodmg screen and punches of the master reader. The construction andoperation of the master and teller readers are described in theco-pending application of Howard et al., S.N. 98,949, filed March 28,1961. Consequently, when the depositor presents the passbook andwithdrawal slip the teller can immediately compare the signature on thelatter with that encoded in the passbook without spending time to referto the bank's signature records. At the same time the hazards of aforged withdrawal slip are substantially eliminated owing to the factthat the depositors name nowhere appears in the passbook except in theform of his signature encoded therein.

The foregoing commercial adaptation of the encoding method and apparatusof the above patent has found wide acceptance in many savings banks,both in the United States and abroad. However, in the larger savingsbanks where many hundreds of accounts may be opened each working day theforegoing encoding procedure has proved to be too time-consuming. It iswith regard to reducing the number of steps and consequently the timerequired for encoding a depositors signature in a passbook that thepresent invention is concerned. Essentially encoding of a signatureemploying the present invention is made directly into the passbookwithout the necessity of any photographic steps. For this purpose theinside of the back cover of the passbook is already provided with anencoding dummy and two aligning holes. An additional sheet, known as thecode sheet, is provided having on the rear face thereof an encoding ortransmitting screen formed of bands or zones of dense carbon ink. Thesebands are so arranged that when the code sheet is aligned over theencoding dummy in the passbook the complementary bands or zones betweenthose of carbon ink fall directly over only the bands of dummy bits,while the carbon inked bands fall directly over only the signature orinformation bit receiving bands on the dummy between those of the dummybits. The code sheet is also provided with two aligning holes therein sothat the code sheet and the encoding dummy in the passbook can bequickly and accurately aligned with respect to each other. The top faceof the code sheet is printed to outline and designate the area in whichthe customer is to write his signature.

When the code sheet and the passbook are aligned .in a collating framethe customer affixes his signature directly to the top face of the codesheet, the pressure of the pen or other writing instrument transferringbits of the signature directly to the encoding dummy by virtue of thecarbon ink on the underside of the code sheet. The signature bits arethus interspersed on the encoding dummy between the zones or bands ofthe dummy bits. A suitable piece of thermoplastic resin is then placedover the encoded signature in the passbook and bonded securely thereto.Consequently, a great saving in time and equipment is achieved andsignatures may be encoded in the passbooks at many times the rate thanwas formerly possible. The apparatus of the present invention is subjectonly to the limitation that it requires the presence of the depositor atthe bank for reasons which will be more fully explained hereafter.However, the older apparatus may continue to be used for accounts openedby mail inasmuch as it does not require the customers presence at thebank.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is theprovision of encoding apparatus employing an encoding dummy of the typedescribed and an encoding screen capable of transmitting to the dummypredetermined portions of a display to be encoded imposed by pressureupon the screen.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an encoding sethaving an encoding dummy of the kind described and a code sheetsuperimposed thereon, the underface of the code sheet being providedwith an encoding screen formed of carbon ink adapted to transmit to thedummy in a predetermined manner portions of a signature imposed bypressure upon the upper face of the sheet.

An additional object of the present invention is the provision of a bankpassbook containing an encoding dummy of the type described thereinadapted to receive predetermined portions of a signature transmittedthereto in a predetermined manner by pressure upon a code sheetincorporating an encoding screen formed of carbon ink and superimposableupon the encoding dummy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bank passbookencoding ensemble utilizing a collating frame containing a passbookhaving an encoding dummy of the kind described therein and a code sheethaving an encoding screen capable of transmitting by pressure thereonpredetermined portions of a signature written thereon to the dummy, thepassbook, code sheet and frame being provided with means to operativelyalign the same with respect to each other.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the preferred form thereof hereafterdescribed, read in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in plan, of a passbook illustrating theencoding dummy applied to the inside of one cover, a portion of thedummy being greatly enlarged for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the upper face of a code sheet;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the underface of the code sheet shown inFIGURE 2 illustrating the encoding screen applied thereto, a portion ofwhich is greatly enlarged for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the passbook and code sheet aligned inthe collating frame; and

FIGURE 5 illustrates the assembly of FIGURE 4 ready to encode adepositors signature.

The encoding dummy and the code sheet Turning now to the drawings, atypical bank passbook is indicated generally at having several pages 11included between front and rear covers 12 and 13 respectively. On theinside of the rear cover 13 is printed an encoding dummy 14 comprisingsectionalizations of one or more groups or sets of random signatures.Dummy 14 may be prepared in the manner described in Patent No. 2,952,080from the basic grid screen, and in actual practice may be printed in apress on cover 13 by conventional silk screen methods. A photographicnegative of the dummy is placed in contact with a piece ofpre-sensitized silk screen process photo-film and processed. By means ofthe stripped film process the emulsion from the silk screen processphoto-film is placed in turn on a fine stainless steel screen of 200mesh stretched over an open frame, thus creating a silk screen stencilwherein the emulsion covers the entire screen rendering it impenetrableby the ink, except those portions corresponding to the noninformationalor dummy bits 15. For the actual printing itself a black silk screen inkis used, thinned down. Such ink is well known and is particularly madefor half-tone work so that it holds the necessary resolution withoutrunning or blurring. The result is an alternating pattern, determined byvirture of the basic grid screen from which the dummy is made, of bandsor zones of dummy bits 15 and unobstructed signature bit receiving bandsor zones 16.

The arrangement and relative sizes of the dummy bits 15 and receivingbands 16 of dummy 14 will now be described in connection with code sheet20. The latter is formed from suitable paper stock and imprinted on itsupper signature receiving face 21 with appropriate in structions 22 anda signature receiving area 23 in which the depositor is to inscribe hissignature. The reverse or signature transmitting face 24 of code sheet20 is provided with a carbon inked encoding or transmitting screen 25printed thereon. Screen 25 is identical to and, in fact, is preparedfrom, the basic grid screen from which encoding dummy 14 is preparedaccording to the aforesaid patent, except that the ratio of the width ofthe carbon inked signature transmitting bands or zones 26 to thenon-inked or nontransrnitting bands or zones 27 therebetween is thereverse of that of the basic grid screen. That is to say, using theratio specifically illustrated in the patent, if the ratio of the widthof the opaque bands of the grid screen to the width of the clear ortransparent bands thereof is 5 to 1, the ratio of the width of thecarbon inked bands 26 of screen 25 to the nontransmitting bands 27 is 1to 5. In the embodiment being presently described, however, thecorresponding ratio in the case of the basic grid screen is actually 3to 1 because only one set of dummy bits is utilized. In the specificillustration in the patent, where two sets or groups of dummy bits wereutilized, it is pointed out that if with a 5 to 1 ratio but one set ofdummy bits were used the signature bits would then be discernible. Thisis because there the order and widths of the dummy and signature bitbands or zones were: (1) dummy bit set A band, .005"; (2) separationband, .005"; (3) dummy bit set B band, .005"; (4) separation band, .005;(5) signature bit band, .005; (6) separation band, .005". Accordingly,the total width devoted to the dummy bits and separation bands was .025"while that devoted to the signature bits was .005", or a ratio of 5to 1. Thus, if but one set of dummy bits in a band .005" wide weredisposed in the .025 width, the relatively large separation bands .010"wide thereby formed on each side of the dummy bit band between thelatter and the adjacent signature bit bands, would make the signaturebits themselves, as the patent says, easily discernible to the eye.

On the other hand, as mentioned in the patent, other ratios may beemployed if a different degree of resolution is required. In practice,in the use of the invention in savings banks, only one set of dummy bitshas been found to provide sufiicient encoding in order not to make thesignature bit discernible, provided that the band or zone devoted to thedummy bits alone is increased in width relative to the width of thesignature bits. In practice the order and width of the dummy andreceiving bands of dummy 14 are: (1) dummy bit band, .010; (2)separation band, .010"; (3) signature bit band, .010; (4) separationband, .010". Thus, the total width devoted to the dummy bits andseparation bands is .030" and that devoted to the signature bits aloneis .010", or a ratio of 3 to 1. Accordingly, the ratio of the width ofthe band of dummy bits alone to the sum of the widths of the separationbands on each side thereof is now 1 to 2 (.010" to .020") instead of 1to 4 (.005 to .020) as in the patent. Consequently, the dummy bits areboth larger relative to the signature bits and closer thereto so thatthe latter are thereby not discernible, the increase in the relativespace devoted to the dummy bits serving to increase the intensity of thedummy pattern.

To summarize: since the basic ratio utilized in the embodiment beingpresently described is 3 to l, the ratio of the width of the opaquebands of the basic grid screen to the width of the clear or transparentbands thereof is also 3 to 1. The ratio, in turn, of the width of a bandof dummy bits 15 of encoding dummy 14 to the width of a signature bitreceiving band 16, including the adjacent separation bands on each sidethereof, is also 3 to 1. Therefore, the ratio of the width of a carboninked band 26 of screen 25 to a nontransmitting band 27 is 1 to 3,namely, the reverse of that of the basic grid screen. Of course, if ahigher degree of encoding or resolution is desired for otherapplications, a ratio such as that illustrated in the patent or someother suitable one could be employed together with two or more sets ofdummy bits. Simple experimentations with ratios and one or more sets ofdummy bits will quickly determine what combination is most fitting for aparticular application.

Screen 25 may also be prepared by conventional silk screen technique inthe same manner as encoding dummy 14, utilizing a similar fine stainlesssteel screen and a press. However, screen 25 should be printed with aheavy carbon ink so that bands 26 will provide sufficient transfer ofthe signature bits to dummy 14 and so that the transferred signaturebits will closely match the dummy bits 15 in color and texture in ordernot to be distinguishable therefrom. The most suitable carbon ink forthis purpose has proved to be a black cold wax spot ink, manufactured,for instance, by Pacific Carbon & Ribbon Mfg. Co. of San Francisco,California, as No. 86. Such ink was developed for use in offset printingwhere zinc or metal plates are employed. It contains a very highconcentration of carbon black in a wax base and will provide bothsufficient transfer to dummy 14 and accurate resolution. More ordinarycarbon inks have proved inadequatein both these respects.

In practice, dummy 14 and encoding screen may be both printed in thesame press or each in a separate press. In either case, the press orpresses are each provided with a pair of spaced punches adjacent thesilk screens so that, (1) when dummy 14 is printed on cover 13 of apassbook 10, a pair of aligning holes or apertures 28 may be punchedalong the outer margin of cover 13 without disturbing either the silkscreen or the passbook; and (2) when a code sheet 20 is inserted, eitherin the same press or in the other, as the case may be, and printed withencoding screen 25, an identical pair of aligning holes 29 may bepunched along the outer margin of sheet 20 without disturbing either thesilk screen or the sheet, the punches, of course, being fixed withrespect to each screen so that any passbook 10 may be quickly andaccurately aligned With any code sheet 20 simply by aligning theirrespective pairs of apertures 28 and 29. Since the carbon ink formingbands 26 is very thick and heavy, indeed, the bands are perceptiblyraised above the surface of the code sheet, the ink must be dried tosome extent in order to prevent smudging. For this purpose the codesheets, after being printed and punched are placed on a conveyor anddried under suitable heat lamps which form a thin outer seal over thecarbon ink.

Operation The actual encoding of the depositors signature employs aconvenient collating frame 30 having lower and upper rectangular leaves31 and 32, respectively, suitably hinged at 33 along one pair of theircorresponding ends so that they will fold one on the other. Leaves 31and 32 may be of any suitable material with the qualification only thatat least the upper surface of lower leaf 31 must be hard and unyielding.Adjacent the opposite end of upper leaf 32 a cutout 34 is providedthrough leaf 32 having generally the same outline as the signaturereceiving area 23 of code sheet 20. The lower leaf 31 has imbeddedtherein a pair of short, upstanding aligning pins 35 identical inspacing and diameter to aligning holes 28 and 29 in cover 13 and sheet20 and positioned so that when cover 13 and code sheet 20 areoperatively positioned with respect to each other and engaged by pins35, the signature receiving area 23 of the latter is exposed throughcutout 34. A pair of reliefs 36 are provided in the upper leaf 32 forpins 35. The remainder of 6 upper leaf 32 affords support for the handof the depositor as he inscribes his signature.

Encoding a signature requires merely the placing of the cover 13 of anunused passbook 10 upon pins 35 with dummy 14 facing upwards andsuperimposing thereover an unused code sheet 20 on pins 35 so thatscreen 25 is in face to face contact with dummy 14. Leaf 32 is thenclosed and the signature inscribed in area 23, preferably with aballpoint type of pen or stylus in order to produce a uniform transferto dummy 14. Since transfer occurs only when the stylus passes over thecarbon inked bands 26, the signature is thus broken up into signaturebits, all of which, owing to the construction and alignment of dummy 14and screen 25 with respect to each other, will lie only in the signaturereceiving bands or zones 16 of the former. Inasmuch as the signaturebits, represented by the transferred carbon ink, are of the same colorand texture as the dummy bits 15, the signature is thereby effectivelylost or scrambled amid the welter of dummy bits. The passbook is removedand a sheet of suitable thermoplastic resin is laid over the encodingand bonded thereto for preservation. The used code sheet is thendiscarded.

The encoding dummy 14 and its corresponding encoding screen 25, as wellas the decoding screen, are, of course, different for each bank. This isachieved by variations in the pattern of the basic grid screen fromwhich each is made and in turn requires a separate set of silk screensby which each is printed. The pattern of each basic grid screen is keptconfidential by the particular bank involved and neither it nor thedecoding screens are permitted in unauthorized hands. In this connectionit should be pointed out that code sheets 20 should also be carefullyguarded and destroyed after use, owing to the fact that each, in effect,contains the basic grid pattern from which a decoding screen couldeasily be fashioned. Consequently, only authorized personnel should haveaccess to them and the code sheets should not be handed outindiscriminately to customers of the bank but used by them only whentheir signature is encoded and under bank supervision.

While the present invention has been described in terms of a particularembodiment for a particular purpose, it is not so limited but may beboth incorporated in other apparatus as well as used for other purposes,being adaptable to the same wide range of uses as mentioned or suggestedin the aforesaid Patent No. 2,952,080. The following claims, therefore,are to be read in this light, as encompassing all such alterations anduses as would ordinarily occur to persons in the art.

I claim:

1. Encoding apparatus comprising a sheet having an obverse displayreception face and a reverse display transmitting face and an encodingdummy having a display receiving face disposed in face to face contactwith said transmitting face; said sheet having a plurality of alternatedisplay transmitting and non-transmitting zones on its transmitting faceproviding an encoding screen, said transmitting zones containing meansresponsive to the pressure imposed on said display face when anintelligible display is impressed thereon to transmit to said receivingface predetermined portions of said display, said portions comprisinginformation bits which by themselves are capable of rendering saiddisplay intelligible, and said non-transmitting zones being adapted toprevent transmission of the remaining portions of said display to saidreceiving face; and said encoding dummy having one or more sets ofnon-contiguous non-information bits on its receiving face, which bitsare incapable of supplementing said transmitted informational bits tocreate an identifiable image of said display, said non-information bitsbeing disposed in a predetermined manner only in predetermined zones onsaid receiving face aligned with said nontransmitting zones of saidscreen.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means comprises a substanceapplied to said transmitting face to form said transmitting zones andcapable of transmitting to said receiving face information bits of acoloration and density effective to render said non-information and saidinformation bits indistinguishable from each other.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said substance includes a carbon ink,said substance having a seal thereover formed integrally upon the outersurface thereof, said seal being breakable upon the impression of saiddisplay upon said display reception face of said sheet.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said encoding dummy is afiixed to abank passbook, said encoding dummy after said transmission thereto ofsaid information bits being provided with a transparent protective coveradhered thereto.

5. A passbook including a sheet having an encoding dummy on one facethereof, said dummy comprising alternate predetermined signature bitreceiving and noninforrnation signature bit containing zones, saidreceiving zones being of sufficient extent and number to receivesufiicient predetermined bits of an intelligible signature so that saidportions by themselves are capable of rendering the signatureintelligible and said containing zones having one or more sets ofnon-contiguous non-informational signature bits therein derived from oneor more sets of random signatures, each of said sets of bits beingdisposed in a predetermined manner only in said containing zones so asto be incapable of supplementing said signature bits to create anidentifiable image of said signature, said passbook being for use with acode sheet carrying a substance disposed in predetermined signature bittransmitting zones on one face thereof such that when said face is incontact and aligned with said encoding dummy said substance bothtransmits to and forms said signature bits only in said receiving zonesof said dummy in response to a signature imposed by pressure upon theother face of said code sheet, said substance being effective to providea coloration and density of said signature bits rendering themindistinguishable from said noninformational signature bits.

6. Signature encoding apparatus comprising a passbook having a coversheet with an encoding dummy on one face thereof, said dummy havingalternate predetermined signature bit receiving and non-informationsignature bit containing bands selectively spaced from one another in adirection substantially perpendicular to the direction of a band at anypoint therealong, said receiving bands being of sufficient number andwidth to receive predetermined bits of an intelligible signature so thatsaid portions by themselves are sufficient to render the signatureintelligible, said containing bands having one or more sets ofnon-contiguous non-informational signature bits therein derived from oneor more sets of random signatures, each of said sets of bits beingdisposed in a predetermined rnanner only in said containing bands andincapable of supplementing said signature bits to render said signatureidentifiable; and a code sheet superimposed over said dummy containingface and having a signature receiving face and a reverse signature bittransmitting face in face to face contact with said dummy containingface, said transmitting face having spaced transmitting bands thereon inalignment with said signature bit receiving bands of said dummy, saidtransmitting bands being formed by means applied to said transmittingface and responsive to pressure imposed upon said receiving face whensaid signature is inscribed thereon to transmit predetermined bits ofsaid signature to said receiving bands, said means comprising asubstance including a carbon ink capable of transmitting to saidreceiving bands signature bits of a coloration and density similar tothat of said non-information signature bits.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said dummy containing face of saidpassbook after transmission thereto of said signature bits is providedwith a transparent protective cover of a thermoplastic resin bondedthereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 209,141 10/1878Southard 28229 861,228 7/1907 Turck 2828 2,952,080 9/1960 Avakian et al352 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners.

1. ENCODING APPARATUS COMPRISING A SHEET HAVING AN OBVERSE DISPLAYRECEPTION FACE AND A REVERSE DISPLAY TRANSMITTING FACE AND AN ENCODINGDUMMY HAVING A DISPLAY RECEIVING FACE DISPOSED IN FACE TO FACE CONTACTWITH SAID TRANSMITTING FACE; SAID SHEET HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALTERNATEDISPLAY TRANSMITTING AND NON-TRANSMITTING ZONES ON ITS TRANSMITTING FACEPROVIDING AN ENCODING SCREEN, SAID TRANSMITTING ZONES CONTAINING MEANSRESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE IMPOSED ON SAID DISPLAY FACE WHEN ANINTELLIGIBLE DISPLAY IS IMPRESSED THEREON TO TRANSMIT TO SAID RECEIVINGFACE PREDETERMINED PORTIONS OF SAID DISPLAY, SAID PORTIONS COMPRISINGINFORMATION BITS WHICH BY THEMSELVES ARE CAPABLE OF RENDERING SAIDDISPLAY INTELLIGIBLE, AND SAID NON-TRANSMITTING ZONES BEING ADAPTED TOPREVENT TRANSMISSION OF THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID DISPLAY TO SAIDRECEIVING FACE; AND SAID ENCODING DUMMY HAVING ONE OR MORE SETS OFNON-CONTIGUOUS NON-INFORMATION BITS ON ITS RECEIVING FACE, WHICH BITSARE INCAPABLE OF SUPPLEMENTING SAID TRANSMITTED INFORMATIONAL BITS TOCREATE AN IDENTIFIABLE IMAGE OF SAID DISPLAY, SAID NON-INFORMATION BITSBEING DISPOSED IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER ONLY IN PREDETERMINED ZONES ONSAID RECEIVING FACE ALIGNED WITH SAID NONTRANSMITTING ZONES OF SAIDSCREEN.